Improved punch for horseshoes



FFIGE CHARLES HUIE, OF LOGKPORT, NEV YORK.

IMPROVED PUNCH FOR HoRsEsHoEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,645, dated October 9, 1855.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known th at I, CHARLES HUIE, of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Punch for Horseshoes and other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following' is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying` drawi ugs, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a view of my improved punch in the act of making a hole in a horseshoe, the latter being represented in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the punch. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom of a portion of a horseshoe, the groove in which the holes are ordinarily made being dispensed with.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The design of my invention is the construction of a punch for making holes near the edge ofthe meta-l-V-such, for instance, as are re quired for the nails in horseshoes-in such a manner as to prevent the edge of the article punched from bulging or being forced out of shape opposite the holes as they are formed.

The invention consists in providing the instrument with a guard or iianged projection at one side of the punch, which prevents this bulging or expansion, and also serves as a fixed g'age to regulate the distance of the holes, and to steady the instrument while the latter are being punched, the whole constructed as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, A represents a portion of an anvil; B, a section of a horseshoe, and C my improved instrument, provided with a punch or point, c, a flange or guard,f, and handle E, when required. V The point c is preferably constructed as shown, its outer side, Q', being formed with a greater bevel than the inner and opposite one, so as to compensate for the inclination at which the punch is required to be held.

rlhe flange-projection j' is constructed with a broad bearing-face, g, Fig. 2, opposite the punch e, and at a distance therefrom varying according to the required distance of the holes to be formed from the edge of the metal, leaving an open space or recess, a, between it and the punch. rlhe face g is slightly beveled, so

that when the instrument is held in the in clined position (shown in Fig. 1) for being operated, it will be perpendicular, and conform to the edge of the metal to be punched, closely pressing' aga-inst the same. Should the edge of the article be inclined from a perpendicular either way, the bevel of the face g may be varied accordingly. rlhe guard fis made to preject a little lower than the point of the punch, so that it will first strike the anvil, and prevent the point c from coming in contact with it and becoming blunted thereby.

The manner of operating with my punch is as follows: rllhe instrument is applied to the metal to be punched, so that the lower edge ofthe face g will press against the edge of the metal, and it is then inclined, as before described, which, as the 'punch is struck, has a tendency to draw the face g rmly against the edge ofthe metal, the broad surface of which prevents the metal bulging as the punch is driven in. The inclination of the punch in driving is also necessary, in order to keep the latter in proper place on the shoe or other au ticle.

In making horseshoes in the ordinary manner a groove is formed nea-r the outer edge for a double purpose; first, as a guide or gage to the punch inserted therein, so as to insure the formation of the holes at a proper distance from the edge; and, secondly, to diminish the thickness of the metal, so as to en able the holes to be more easily formed, and prevent the great distortion by the stretching or yielding of the metal at the edge, which is in proportion to the thickness punched. Even then the shoe always requires more or less labor to reform, and at the same time prevent the holes from becoming' partially closed.

By the use of my improved punch the ne cessity of this groove is dispensed with, as the guard and gage f enables the holes to be formed with precision at a uniform distance from the edge with a single blow of the hamA mer, which may be vigorously struck without fear of making' too large a hole, or of injuring the point by its coming too forcibly in contact with the anvil, the guard f not only be-V ing a perfect protection against these diflcuh ties, but also preventing any disturbance of the edge of the metal, as before described.

There is another ditficulty which is remedied by the use of my improvement-viz., thel `tendA ency ofthe counnon punch to take an inclinan tion toward the inner beveled and thinner portion, p, ot the shoe, where there is less resistance. The guard f prevents any yielding ot' the point in that direction.

It is evidentfroin the foregoing that I am enabled-t0 make a horseshoe with much less labor and expense than could be done without my instrument.

By dispensing with the necessity of the groove, I ain enabled to construct a shoe possessing the two following advantages-Viz., rst, greater strength and durability, as shoes are frequently rendered worthless by the edge or flange outside of the nail-holes splitting olf at the groove; and, second, the entire head of the nail being tightly wedged in the countersink of the hole, retains the nail more tirmly, and enables the shoe to be more rigidly secured to the hoof, and less liable to become loosened by wear, as is the case with grooved shoes, where the bearing-surface around the nail-head is ot' less thickness.

The eiect of the ordinary punch is to stretch the displaced fibers of the metal, and hence weaken them, and in the case of horseshocs, which must necessarily be punched close to the edge, this effect is highly injurious. This defect is completely avoided by my improved punch, which, it will he seen, instead of stretching the displaced fibers between the hole and edge, impacts them, and condenses the metal, all in the single act of punching, thus increasing the strength at that point, as well as obr viat-ing the necessity'of further hammering or ling the edge, which is rendered smooth and finished by the action of the guard-face g.

What I claim as my invention is v A punch the point of which is provided with the lilangef, serving both as a guard and gage, when constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for purpose set forth.-

C. HUIE. Witnesses J AY HYATT, LYMAN P. PERKINs. 

